Indian armed forces to acquire hovercraft

India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the procurement of equipment worth over $81.4 million for the Indian armed forces, the Indian MoD announced on 7 June.

The equipment includes air cushion vehicles for the Indian Army and Coast Guard. The hovercraft offer advantages over conventional boats/craft with an ability to travel at high speeds over shallow water, sandbanks, mud flats and swamps that are non-navigable by boats/small craft due to draught restrictions/uncharted depths.

The vessels will offer capability enhancement for the services and
will be deployed for the transport of personnel and equipment during amphibious/riverine operations.

The approval also covers the proposed procurement of 12 long-range medium- and high-altitude radar for the Indian Air Force. The radars will be able to detect and track high-speed targets following parabolic trajectories. They will scan 360° without mechanical rotation of an antenna and will operate on a 24/7 basis with minimal maintenance requirement.